TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons take on the Syracuse Chiefs in a doubleheader at Alliance Bank Stadium (Game 1: 5:00 p.m.). The Herd lost the first game of the four-game set, 4-3, in 12 innings last night. Buffalo is now 3-2 since returning from the All-Star break. The Bisons will return home on Friday for an eight-game homestand against Pawtucket and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

VS. THE CHIEFS: The Bisons are 2-5 against Syracuse this season. The clubs have split a pair of two-game sets with the Chiefs also sweeping two games, July 2-3 at Coca-Cola Field. Despite the losing record, Buffalo has actually out-hit the Chiefs in the season series with a .270 average to Syracuse’s .248.

ON THE BUMP: RHP MIGUEL BATISTA will make his second start of the season tonight. The veteran worked 3.2 shutout innings and allowed only two hits on July 14 against Rochester. Batista began the season as a reliever in the St. Louis Cardinals pen where he was 3-2 with a 4.60ERA in 26 outings.

GAME TWO DEBUT: LHP GUSTAVO CHACIN will make his Bisons debut in the second game of today’s twinbill. The southpaw was signed by the Mets on Monday and assigned to the Bisons. Chacin was 3-6 with a 5.13ERA in 18 appearances (9 starts) for the Triple-A Oklahoma City RedHawks before being released by the Astros on July 14. Chacin has pitched in 102 career major league games with Houston and the Toronto Blue Jays.

OUR PAL, VAL: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI has reached base at least twice in each of the five games since the All-Star Break. The reigning IL Batter of the Week also has 11RBI since Thursday and has now driven in 61 on the season (4th in IL). For his Bisons career, Pascucci has driven in 98 runs in 155 games.

BISONS BITS: With OF FERNANDO PEREZ’S debut last night, LHP GUSTAVO CHACIN will be the 50th different player to appear in a game for the Bisons this season…C RAUL CHAVEZ has hit in nine straight games, averaging .400 (12-30) since June 29…The Bisons (9-10) trail the Syracuse Chiefs (12-6) by 3.5 games in the 2011 Thruway Series.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (48-47) defeated St. Louis by a 4-2 margin last night at Citi Field. OF ANGEL PAGAN and INF DANIEL MURPHY both doubled and drove in two. RHP DILLON GEE worked seven innings and allowing only two runs for the win. New York hosts the Cardinals again tonight at 7:10 p.m.

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